Poinsettia plant named ‘Fisnova’

ABSTRACT

‘Fisnova’ is characterized by medium to dark-red bract color which are medium-sized, ovate, and weakly to moderately lobed; dark-green foliage which is ovate-shaped with weak lobes; early flowering response; and medium growth resulting in a medium tall and relatively compact plant habit during the vegetative stage of growth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant known by the cultivar name ‘Fisnova’ and botanicallyknown as Euphorbia pulcherrima.

‘Fisnova’ is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new poinsettia cultivars with red bract color,dark-green foliage, good branching characteristics, and early floweringresponse. ‘Fisnova’ was originated from a hybridization made in acontrolled breeding program in Hillscheid, Germany, in 1994.

The female parent was a proprietary hybrid seedling No. S90-502-1characterized by red bract color, dark-green foliage andearly-flowering. The male parent was a proprietary hybrid seedling No.S90-1202-1 with bright-red bract color, medium-green foliage and verycompact habit. ‘Fisnova’ was discovered and selected as one floweringplant (No. 3736) within the progeny of the stated parentage by KatharinaZerr in autumn of 1995 in a controlled environment in Hillscheid,Germany.

The seeds from the hybridization made in February 1995 and the seedlingsproduced therefrom were identified by numbers. In summer of 1995, acutting was taken from each seedling and grown as a flowering,single-stem plant for examination in the autumn and winter. The cuttingsused were new grown shoot tips from the upper area of the plant, takenfrom branches emerging from the main stem higher than the place of thegrafting. After plant no. 3736 was selected, more cuttings were takenfrom the original seedling and grafted onto rootstocks of variety‘Beckmanns Altrosa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,336) in order to transmit thebranching-causing agent, phytoplasma, into the clone to improve thebranching characteristics. From cuttings of these grafted plants,branched plants were grown for trial cultivation (horticulturalexamination) in autumn and winter of 1996 to 1997. Horticulturalexamination initiated in autumn of 1996 and continuing thereafter hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor ‘Fisnova’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Fisnova’ which in combination distinguishthis Poinsettia as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Medium to dark-red bract color.

2. Medium-sized ovate bracts, weakly to moderately lobed;

3. Dark-green foliage, ovate-shaped with weak lobes;

4. Early flowering response; and

5. Medium growth, medium tall and relatively compact habit duringvegetative stage.

‘Fisnova’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and daylength withouta change in genotype. The following observations, measurements andcomparisons describe plants grown in Langley, British Columbia, Canada,under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used incommercial practice.

Of the many commercial varieties known to the inventor, the most similarin comparison to ‘Fisnova’ are the patented cultivars ‘Freedom Red’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825) and ‘Fiscor’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364). Incomparison to ‘Freedom Red’, ‘Fisnova’ has somewhat more intense andmore stable red-colored bracts, which do not tend to fade at hightemperature, and which have a smoother surface. Bracts and leaves of‘Fisnova’ are narrower in size than with ‘Freedom Red’. In comparison to‘Fiscor’, ‘Fisnova’ has a different plant habit, taller and less wide,and has an earlier flowering response.

‘Fisnova’ can also be compared to the cultivars ‘Fismille’ (U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 09/210,122) and ‘Fisgala’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 09/210,123). Chart A shows a comparison of‘Fisnova’, ‘Fismille’ and ‘Fisgala’.

CHART A ‘FISNOVA’ ‘FISMILLE’ ‘FISGALA’ Bract Medium to dark Brilliant,Dark-red, color: red; medium-red; often more upper surface: uppersurface: bluish than: RHS 46B RHS 45A upper surface: lower surface:lower surface: RHS 46B RHS 46B to 46C RHS 46B lower surface: RHS 46BStem Light to medium Medium-green, Medium-green, color: green, RHS RHS137B; weak RHS 137B; 137C; weak infusion of strong infusion infusion ofanthocyanin of anthocyanin anthocyanin Foliage, Weak Almost no lobesWeak to medium lobes Growth/ Medium vigor, vigorous, medium Moderatelyvigorous Plant relatively to tall, upright growth, medium habit compactas a plant habit height, V-shaped young plant, plant habit with developslater a uniformly developed more round plant branches habit when givenenough space so that all the branches may develop fairly evenly No. of8.5 6.9 7.5 branches Start of 8.5 weeks 7.5 weeks 8-8.5 weeks flowering

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color photographs sheet shows typical inflorescence andfoliage of a mature potted plant of ‘Fisnova’, with colors being as trueas possible with illustrations of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The plants described were grown in a greenhouse in Langley, BritishColumbia, Canada, in autumn of 1997. Rooted cuttings were planted into15-cm pots on August 1, and were pinched on August 18, leaving 8 nodes.The minimum temperature was 23° C. until October 10, 20° C. tomid-November, and lower thereafter. The plants initiated flowers undernatural short-day conditions in autumn.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.). The color values weredetermined indoors in a north light.

Classification:

Botanical.—Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Commercial.—Poinsettia, cv. ‘Fisnova’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Hybrid seedling No. S90-502-1.

Male parent.—Hybrid seedling No. S90-1202-1.

Plant:

Form.—Shrub, self-branching.

Growth habit.—Medium vigor, plant habit of branched plants in mediumtall (of medium height), but relatively compact (dense, branches andleaves). Height, including pot, if 45 cm. The average number of branchesis 8.5.

Stem color.—Light to medium-green, RHS 137 C, with a weak, reddish-browninfusion of anthocyanin.

Rooting.—Relatively fast, about 20 days.

Blooming habit.—Flowering response time under natural short-dayconditions in autumn: botanically, cyathia open, in late November;commercially, bracts colored and marketable, about November 24.

Flowering response time.—About 8.5 weeks.

Keeping quality of bracts and leaves (‘shelf life’).—Approximately 25days. Relatively good, average or medium for the group of dark-foliagevarieties.

Foliage:

Number of leaves per plant.—Approximately 32-36.

Shape.—Ovate, with slightly rounded base, acuminated tip, and weaklobes.

Margin.—Entire.

Texture.—Upper surface: Smooth and flat, only weakly veined, veinshardly visible, RHS 146 D, basal part of midrib may have the samereddish coloring as the petiole. Lower surface: Flat and smooth, exceptfor the slightly protruding midrib and finer side veins, which arearranged in a herringbone pattern; the vein color is light-green, RHS139 D, in parts dull pink, RHS 180 D.

Size.—Leaf blade length is 14.2 cm; leaf blade width is 10.4 cm; petiolelength is 7.5 cm.

Color.—Generally a uniform dark-green. Mature foliage: upper surface isRHS 139 A; under surface is RHS 137 B. New foliage: upper side is aboutRHS 144 A; under side is about RHS 137 D.

Petiole color.—Dark-red, near RHS 53 A.

Aspect.—Petioles and leaves are horizontally directed.

Disease resistance.—Typical, no special observation made.

Flowering description:

Inflorescence.—Medium-sized, horizontally directed, with the bractsrelatively smooth and flat. The diameter of inflorescence is 26 cm.

Inflorescence per plant.—6.7 to 7.

Bracts per inflorescence.—9 to 11 true bracts, each over 2 cm long.

Size of bract.—The length is 14.5 cm and width is 10.3 cm; petiole is2.3 cm.

Bracts, shape.—Ovate-shaped with rounded base, acuminated tip, andweakly to moderately lobed.

Texture.—Flat and smooth, the veins, arranged in a herringbone pattern,are hardly visible on the upper surface; the vein color of the upperside corresponds closely to the bract color or appears slightly darker,while on lower surface, the veins are usually lighter, brownish pink,RHS 47 A or lighter.

Color.—Generally a uniform medium-red. Upper surface: Near RHS 46 B, orslightly more bluish. Lower surface: More bluish than RHS 46 B to 46 C.

Petiole, color.—Dark-red, near RHS 46 A.

Cyathia.—Few, about 5-10 in number, borne in a narrow cluster, about 20mm wide; diameter of the single cythium is 5-6 mm.

Color.—Light to medium green, RHS 143 B, with darker, medium-greenpatches, about RHS 137 D; top is red, about RHS 46 C.

Retention.—Medium, better than “Freedom Red”.

Nectar cups.—Small to medium-sized, bright yellow, margin usuallywithout anthocyanin coloring.

Reproductive organs:

Stamens.—Red filaments, fertile, yellow pollen.

Pistils.—Style and stigma are red, 6-lobed stigma.

Ovaries.—Triangular, 3 ovules.

Seed/fruit set: Few seeds are formed spontaneously, but fertile whenpollinated; shape and development is typical for the species.

